Process for total combustion



(NoModeL) 13. A. EBB. PROCESS OF TOTAL COMBUSTION.

No. 478,693. Patented July 12; 1892;

In Vania? flavor/2g 0., Puma-mug, msnmaron n c UNITED STATES PATE TOFFICE.

EMIL A. ERB, OF APPLETON, WISCONSIN.

PROCESS FOR TOTAL COMBUSTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 478,693, dated July 12,1892.

Application filed February 12, 1891.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMIL A. ERB, a citizen of the United States,residing'at Appleton, in the county of Outagamie and State ofVVisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inProcesses for Total Com bustion; and I do declare the following to beafull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

This invention relates to an improvement in the combustion ofcarbonaceous fuel of vari-, ous descriptions; and it has for its objectto provide for an approximately perfect combustion of the fuel and theproduction of a high temperature for various purposes, as more fullyhereinafter explained.

Combustion is usually effected in furnaces by the admission ofatmospheric air below the fuel which has been ignited, the combustionbeing kept up by the continuous admission of air throughout the process.The oxygen of the air, which combines with the carbon of the fuel andsupports combustion;

results in the formation of carbonic-acid gas and other products ofcombustion, which are carried off by high chimneys, which create thenecessary draft. The carbonic acid, being a non-supporter of combustion,has a tendency to dampen the process of the combustion while being drawnup through the fuel, interfering with theperfect combustion thereof and'reduoing the intensity of the heat which might otherwise be produced.As the carbonic acid is much heavier than air,I take advantage of itsspecific gravity to clear the fuel of the same, and assist the escape ofthe gas by the exhaust-fan pump or other exhaust devices. Then thebituminous coals are employed, they are liable to run together at hightemperatures and obstruct the passage of the carbonic-acid gas, and thesame obstruction occurs in the use of anthracite or harder coals whenthey are small or are employed in the form of breeze or coal-dust, theparticles of which pack together and prevent the passage of the gases.To obviate this, I employ in connection with the fuel cubical blocks ofiron, which are perforated from side to side and which are mixed withthe fuel in any Serial No. 381,233. tNo specimens.) I

quantities desired, or short tubes of iron may be used instead. Theseafford free passage of the gas through the fuel, so that it may sink bygravity and be drawn off from below.

In the fuel chamber steam is injected, whenever the iron cubes arered-hot, to augment the heat at will. By the decomposition of water (inthe steam) hydrogen is formed with its intense heat, and oxygen in theiron by hydrogen composition (FeOFeO (formed at the same time) isdisengaged, and by its (oxygen) combustion to someextent the totalcombustion of coal'is accomplished, even to the exclusion (of theoxygen) of air.

Any furnace in which the products of combustion of the fuel. may bedrawn off from below may be employed; but in practice I prefer thefollowing:

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a portion of a furnace withparts broken away in order to more clearly show the interior. Fig. 2represents a front elevation of the furnace. .Fig1'3 represents atransverse vertical section of the lower part of the furnace. Fig. 4represents a perspective view of one of the perforated cubical blocks,and Fig. 5 represents a transverse vertical sectional view taken on theline a: 00 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, a indicates the walls of the rectangularfurnace, b the ash-pit, and f the ash-pan thereof.

The letter 0 indicates the fuel-chamber, and d the grate thereof.

' The letter 0' indicates the doors of the fuel chamber, and a the doorsof the ash-pit.

Into the fuel-chamber, at a proper distance above the grate, extends asteam-supply pipe d, and from the ash-pit extends a pipe 9, whichconnects with an exhaust-fan e, by means of which the escape of theproducts of combustion of the fuel may be assisted, the course beingshown by the arrows.

The letter p indicates a cubical block of iron provided with apertures19'. A number of these blocks are intended to be distributed throughoutthe fuel in the furnace to offer free passage for the gas.

It will be seen that by my process the carbonic-acid gas naturallypasses off below, and, if necessary, is assisted, thus leaving the fuelfree to combine with fresh oxygen throughsame consisting in running oltthe generated carbonic-acid gas by its own gravity assisted by anexhaust-fan or other exhaust-pump devices, and further assisted byfeeding fuel mixed With perforated iron cubes or other forms ofperforated iron, substantially as specified.

3. The improvement herein described in the combustion of carbonaceousfuel, the same consisting in running olf the generated carbonic-acid gasby its own gravity assisted by an exhaust-fan orother exhaust-pumpdevices, and further assisted by feeding the .fuel mixed with perforatediron cubes or other forms of perforated iron, and further assisted byinjecting steam in the fuel-chamber, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

EMIL A. ERB. WVitnesses:

T. J. FRANKLIN, Jos. E. LINNER.

